Means for operating changeable exhibitors.



P. FANDEL.

MEANS FOR OPERATING CHANGEABLE EXHIBITORS. APPLICATION FILED SEPT- 15. 1916.

Patented May 22, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

Witneoo P. FANDEL. MEANS FOR OPERATING CHANGEABLE E'XHIB ITORS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 15. 19W. l,22? 7,409. Patented May 22, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

BEST AVNLABLE coe UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE.

PETER FANDEL, OF GIBSON, LOUISIANA.

MEANS FOR OPERATING CHANGEAIBLE EXHIBITORS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 22, 1917.

Application filed September 15, 1916. Serial No. 120,398.

19 means for operating changeable exhibitors aa has particular application to a station indicator for use on street cars, interurban cars, and railway trains.

In carrying out the present invention, 1t is my purpose to provide a station indicator which will be found especially useful on trolley cars, and which will operate automatically afterpassing each station to indicate to the passengers the name of the next station, or stop, and wherein the driving connections will be connected with the trolley pole in such manner that when the position of the trolley pole is reversed incident to the car reaching the terminus of the line, and starting back over the line, the driving con nections will be reversed so that the sign beltwill travel in the opposite direction.

It isalso my purpose toprovide a station indicator wherein the-sign belt will be automatically advanced in a step by step manner as the car passes from one statlon to another and wherein an improved construction is employed for efiecting this result.

A further object of my invention is the provision of operating mechanism for a changeable exhibitor which will be constructed in such manner that the exhibitor may be driven in one direction or the other, and wherein the component parts will be so arranged and correlated as to reduce the ossibility of derangement to a minimum.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention-consists in the construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter set forth and falling within the scope of the claims.

In the accompanying drawings Figure l is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view through a car equipped with a station indicator and operating mechanism therefor constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view through the drive shaft, showing the operating 5 m h ism s de ele ation.

pawls may rotate the wheel.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 33 of .Fig. 2.

Fig. 4: is a similar View on the line 1-1 of Fig. 2. I

Referring now to the drawings, 1 designates a horizontal drive shaft journaled 1n .suitable bearings carried by the end bars of o ne of the trucks of the car Fixed upon the drive shaft 1 is a ratchet wheel 2, while I loosely surrounding the drive shaft 1 at one side of the ratchet wheel 2 is a hub 3, and radiating from the hub 3 are arms f1 spaced apart equal distances around the hub. Connected to the outer ends of the respective arms 4 and disposed at right angles thereto are pivot pins 5 overlyingthe ratchet wheel, and pivoted upon the respective pins 5 are pawls 6 adapted to engage the ratchet wheel. In the present instance, the pawls are arranged in two pairs, and the pawls in one pair are disposed reversely to those in the other pair so that the ratchet wheel may be rotated in either direction according to the arrangement of the pawls engaging the wheel. Also carried upon the outer end of each arm 4 is a cup 7 carrying a spring 8 that engages the pawls and acts to hold the latter in engagement with the ratchet wheel. Loosely mounted upon the shaft 1 at the other side of the ratchet wheel is a hub 9 from which radiate arms 10-l0 and connected to the outer ends of the arms 1010 are cam shoes 12, respectively, disposed concentrically of the ratchet Wheel and movable into engagement with either pair of pawls to swingthe latter out of engagement with the ratchet wheel so that the ratchet wheel will berelieved of the infiuence of such pawls in order that the other One of the arms 4 is relatively long and has the lower end thereof equipped with a, weighted shoe 13 adapted to strike an obstacle 14 in the travel of the car, so that the arms 4 may be rotated about the shaft 1 to rotate the ratchet wheel. The obstacles 14 are arranged in advance of the respective stations along the line of travel of the car so that the ratchet wheel and shaft will be rotated as the car approaches the station.

Also radiating from the hub 9 are arms 1515 and connected to the outer ends of the arms 15-15 are the lower extremities of cables 16, respectively, trained over suitably arranged g ide Wh e s p lied by ZEET AVAILABLE the car and the upper ends of the cable 16 are connected with a collar 18 that sur rounds the trolley pole of the car and 1s fixed to such pole, as clearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. The guide rollers on one cable are so arranged relatively to those on I '15 pair of the pawls 6, so that the ratchet wheel will be relieved of the influence of such *f/awls. When the cam shoes swing one pair /of the pawls out of engagement with the ratchet wheel the remaining pawls are per- I "20 mitted to engage the ratchet wheel so that the'latter may be rotated in the proper direction. For instance, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, the active pawls will rotate the ratchet wheel and the shaft counter- '25 clockwise when the weighted shoe 13 rides over the obstacle 14, and as soon as the shoe disengages the obstacle the pawls will be restored to normal position under the weight 'of the shoe so as to obtain a fresh grip upon the ratchet wheel toagain turn the latter when the weighted shoe rides over other obstacles. On the other hand, should the inactive pawls be relieved of the shoes 12 and s the active pawls rendered inactive by such shoes, the wheel engaging pawls will idle over the'ratchet wheel when the weighted shoe rides over the obstacle and rotate the ratchet wheel in a clockwise direction upon the weighted shoe disengaging the obstacle 0 and returning to normal position under its weight, thereby revolving the ratchet wheel and shaft in the reverse direction.

The indicating device comprises a substantially rectangular casin 19 adapted to be mounted in the car withln the vision of the passengers. The front wall of the cas ing 19 is formed with a window 20, while j ournaled in the side walls of the casing and extending across the latter adjacent to the 5 lower and upper ends thereof are drive shafts 21 and 22, respectively designed to carry winding drums for the indicator belt. The indicator is shown conventionally in Fig. 1 and is driven by chain 39 from sprocket wheel 37 fixed on shaft 38 and the shaft last-named is driven from the shaft 1 through the medium of chain 41.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, theconstruction and mode of opera- .tion of my improved sign exhibitor will be readily apparent. It will be seen that when the shaft 1 is rotated in one direction or the other dependent upon which pair of pawls is active, a corresponding movement will be transmitted through the chain 11, the shaft 37, and the chain 39 to the indicator. Thus the indicator will be actuated in a step by step manner as the car passes from one station to another to advise the passengers of the name of the station that the car is approaching.

While I have herein shown and described the preferred form of my invention by way of illustration, 1 wish it to be understood that I do not limit or confine myself to the precise details of construction herein described and delineated as modification and variation may be made within the scope of the claims and without departing from 39 the spirit of the invention.

I claim 1. Operating mechanism for changeable exhibitors comprising a shaft, driving mechanism between said shaft and the exhibitor -5" whereby the latter may be actuated froni'th' shaft, a ratchet wheel fixed upon said shaft, arms radiating from the shaft at one'side of the ratchet wheel thereon and loosely mounted upon the shaft, reversely di po ed pawls on the outer ends of the said arms, respectively, adapted to engage Said ratchet wheel, means movable between the ratchet wheel and each of the pawls to relieve the ratchet wheel of the influence of such pawl, whereby the ratchet wheel may be rotated in one direction under the action f the other pawl, and means for revolving aid arms around the shaft to actuate theratchet wheel.

2. Operating mechanism for changeable exhibitors comprising "a shaft mounted for rotary movement, driving mechanism between said shaft a'nd the exhibitor, a ratchet wheel fixed upon said shaft, arms loosely mounted upon said shaft and radiating therefrom, reversely disposed pawls on the outer ends of the said arms adapted to engage the ratchet wheel, cam shoes each movable between the ratchet wheel and a given pawl, whereby the remaining pawl may engage the ratchet wheel to turn the latter in one direction, and means for actuating said arms to impart rotary movement to said ratchet wheel.

8. Operating mechanism for changeable exhibitors comprising a shaft mounted for rotary movement, driving mechanism be tween said shaft and the exhibitor, a ratchet wheel fixed upon said shaft, arms loosely mounted upon said shaft and radiating therefrom, reversely disposed pawls on the outer ends of the said arms adapted to engage the ratchet wheel, cam shoes each movable between the ratchet wheel and a given pawl, whereby the remaining pawls may engage the ratchet wheel to turn the latter in one direction, means for swinging said arms in one direction to rotate the ratchet wheel, and a weight for restoring said arms to normal position.

BEST AVAlLABLE COP 4. Operating mechanism for changeable exhibitors comprising a shaft mounted for rotary movement, driving mechanism between said shaft and the exhibitor, a ratchet wheel fixed upon said shaft, arms loosely mounted upon said shaft and radiating therefrom, reversely disposed pawls on the outer ends of the said arms adapted to engage the ratchet wheel, cam shoes each movable between the ratchet wheel and a given pawl, whereby the remaining pawls may engage the ratchet wheel to turn the latter in one direction, means for actuating said arms to impart rotary movement to said ratchet wheel, and arms rotatably mounted upon said shaft and radiating therefrom and carrying said cam shoes.

5. Operating mechanism for changeable exhibitorscomprising a shaft mounted for rotary movement, driving mechanism between said shaft and the exhibitor, a ratchet wheel; fixed upon said shaft, arms loosely mounted upon said shaft and radiating therefrom, reversely disposed pawls on the outer ends of the said arms adapted to engage the ratchet wheel, cam shoes each movable between thfe ratchet wheel and a given pawl, whereby the remaining pawls may engage the ratchet wheel to turn the latter in one direction, means for actuating said arms to impart rotary movement to said ratchet Wheel, arms rotatably mounted upon said shaft and rad rying said cam shoe to said arms to swing shaft to engage the cam of pawls and engage tn other set.

6. Operating mechanism i station indicators comprising ing mechanism between said SJ. exhibitor whereby the latter ma ated from the shaft, a ratchet wi upon said shaft, arms radiating fl shaft at one side of the ratchet Wheel on and loosely mounted upon the shai versely disposed pawls on the outer end the said arms, respectively, adapted to e gage said ratchet wheel, shoes, each mot able between the ratchet wheel and a given pawl to relieve the ratchet Wheel of the infiuence of such pawl, whereby the ratchet wheel may be rotated in one direction under the action of the other pawl, means for revolving said arms around the shaft to actu- 5s ate the ratchet wheel, and means controlled by the movements of the trolley pole to reverse the positions of said shoes so that the said shaft may be rotated in one direction or the other according to the direction of travel 00 of the car.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

PETER FANDEL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents,

* Washington, D. C. 

